MONTPELIER - The editor of the Arizona Highways magazine says Vermont is the nation's gold standard when it comes to fall foliage.

But the editor, Robert Stieve, points out that the foliage season in Arizona lasts a lot longer than it does in Vermont.

Stieve made the comments Monday after his magazine claimed that fall colors are better in Arizona. The cover of the magazine's October issue shows a waterfall surrounded by golden leaves with the headline "Autumn in Arizona and why it's better than it is in Vermont."

Vermont officials rushed to the defense of the state's cherished red-, orange- and gold-hued fall foliage. And Vermont Life magazine quickly produced an all-in-fun cover that claimed that a local attraction, the Quechee Gorge, "is better than the Grand Canyon."